We’ve all been in a situation when we’re walking around in public with our eyes glued to our smartphones. We have to keep looking up whenever we do this because there’s always the risk of running into someone or something while our attention is diverted. That’s where a new app called Transparent Screen comes in. Transparent Screen uses the rear camera on an Android phone to provide a window into the real world while allowing you to use your phone as normal.

Transparent Screen is free, but there’s another version with no ads for $0.99. The app lets you adjust the transparency of your screen with a simple slider. You can also increase the screen’s resolution at will.

It may all sound like a sweet deal, but Transparent Screen needs a lot of resources to function. It’s a guaranteed battery eater. You may also experience problems with lag even if you’re using a fairly modern phone.

It’s worth checking out just to see how well the app works for you. Use it sparingly though.